Best Solder for Electronics – Buyer’s Guide & Reviews

Are you struggling with making strong solder joints? Maybe you thought you ain't a pro in soldering. Using the wrong solder wire might put you into trouble with various soldering projects. Therefore, the right solder wire is the beginning of making perfect and strong joints. There are various alloy combination, flux types and wire sizes to choose from for better soldering experiencing.

So what makes a good solder? To avoid problems of poor solder joints and outlawed lead solders, this review will help you find the best solder for electronics. From the various types of solders available in the market that might bring a lot of confusion, we carry out our extensive research to provide you with the best to enhance your soldering experience.

Relax, as we take you through our top pick and reasons why it is the best in the market. After a series of analysis, research, and testing, we are certain to bring you our top five solder wires that will better your soldering experience.

1. Alpha fry 31604

Alpha-Fry AT-31604 60-40 Rosin Core Solder is our best pick from our extensive analysis. This is a high-quality solder that you can use on multiple occasions. If you are thinking of making perfect and strong solder joints for a small electronics project, then Alpha Fry AT-31604 will offer that service pretty good. It is perfect for repairing electronics projects such as XLR microphone cables, toys, radio, tv among other small projects. It melts well, and the diameter is fairly large.

2. WITHIN 60-40 Tin Lead Rosin Core Solder for Electronics

WYCTIN 60-40 Tin Lead Rosin Core solder is second top pick due to the unique features that distinguish it from the other numerous available in the market. Well, let’s look at its qualities and compare it with others for concrete decision making.

This is alloy rosin of lead and tin combination with a 0.0236 thickness/diameter. Apart from a low melting point, it is highly efficient making it perfect for small home appliances like toys, TV, DIY, and stereos. The solder wire does not produce harmful fumes and can be used in places not properly ventilated.

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Perfect alloy combination: It is a combination of 60% tin and 40% lead. This makes it produce very fine electrical solders.

Thickness: It has a diameter of 0.6mm (0.0236inches) with a gross weight of 50grams and 0.61 ounces.

Low melting point temperature: it has a lower melting temperature of 3610F/1870C compared to others.

3. MAIYUM 63-37 Tin Lead Rosin core solder wire

MAIYUM 63-37 Tin Lead Rosin core solder wire can come in handy especially for household electrical appliances. It comes second in our list. It is pretty good for those involved in simple soldering works at home. It is very easy to use beside the perfect combination of the alloy. Additionally, it has lower flux content.

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Perfect alloy combination: It is 60% tin and 40% lead. This combination is great,especially for fine electrical soldering.

Melting point: It has a low melting point of 3610F/1830C. This enables fast soldering and makes strong soldering points.

Ease of use: Having all these qualities it is easy to use especially for home appliances.

Cons: The roll is way too small according to the reviews.

This product is incorporated with unique features like low melting point, smooth soldering flow, perfect soldering compatibility, and strong soldering points. All these special features make this product one of a kind and a good choice for consideration amongst the solder wires.

4. WYCTIN Diameter 0.6mm 100g 60/40 Active Solder Wire

The review of product details of WYCTIN Diameter 0.6mm 100g 60/40 Active Solder is essential especially for selection when the thought of buying comes in. Well, this is just the place you want to be. The product details are correctly pointed out and related to other products.

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Perfect alloy combination: It is made in the ratio of 60:40 of tin and lead respectively. This combination ensures that the melting point is very low which save on time during soldering.

Low melting point temperature: It has a low melting point of 3610F/1830C. This enables fast soldering and makes strong soldering points. It has a gross weight of 100g with 3.215ounces.

Actual size: 55mm diameter x 30mm/ 2.165inch diameter x 1.181 inch.

Flux content: It has a flux content of 1.8%

Ease of use: Having all these qualities it is easy to use especially for home appliances.

Cons: It's flow is impaired compared to the larger diameter solders according to the reviews

This product has unique features like shining solder points, smooth soldering, low melting point, and a perfect lead-tin combination. This makes this product a point of choice.

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Low melting point: this solder has a very low melting temperature of 3610F/1830C. This will enable its use on household appliances very conducive. It also has a definite weight of 100grams and 3.21ounces. These properties make it produce very strong and shiny solders.

Alloy: this product is a result of a combination of tin and lead in the ratio of 40:60 making a perfect alloy that is efficient since it will enable you to save time during soldering.

Thin wire: This company produces a very thin solder wire of diameter 0.8mm(0.0315inches) that is suitable for household soldering.

Cons: It doesn’t flow well as well as the larger diameter solders.

Looking at the brilliant properties of this solder wire, a strong consideration can be made in its choice.

What to Look For When Buying Solder Wire

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Since there are so many solder types out there, choosing the right one can be confusing. When looking for the best quality solder wire, several factors should be put into consideration before buying a solder.

#1. Lead and flux content of the solder

It used to be simple to choose solder. Today, you have access to various types of solder wires for different tasks. You need to be aware of the lead content before purchasing one. The lower the lead content, the better the solder. In most cases, 60% tin and 40% lead is recommended.

However, it is possible to have halide, lead and rosin free solders. Unless your working area has got excellent ventilation system fume extraction, getting solder that does not produce fumes is advised. Materials that are ROHS compliant can be recommended suitable solder for electronics use.

#2. Solder wire size

Having the right size is very crucial for making strong joints. You should ensure the solder wire you are buying has the most desirable size. So, what the best solder size for your projects? Right, that will be determined with the type of projects you are handling. However, there are standards which are accepted and regarded as good.

Solder wire size ranging between 0.711mm to 1.63 mm diameter is good enough. However, you might get confused to determine the diameter since in most cases it is determined by the gauge number. Gauge numbers 18, 20 and 21 work well.

#3. Cored solder wire

Cored solder implies that there is a hollow core that runs at the centre of the wire and often contains flux. The typical flux ingredient is composed of rosin. However, rosin fumes are not good for people who are asthmatic unless their working area is well ventilated.

#4. Choosing the flux

To purchase a specific type of flux within the solder wire will be dependent on individual preference. An individual with asthmatic conditions is advised to use non rosin flux. The flux helps in the prevention of oxidation from occurring when oxygen reacts with the hot tip. Flux whose ingredients are environmental friendly is recommended.

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Types of solder

There are a few basic you should be aware to understand the type of solder to stay away from and what you should go for. First, you should be aware that solder comes in different forms. For instances, pellets, paste, wire,and bars. For electronics purposes, be conversant with the wire solder. Second, there are two main types of solders

Lead-based solders

Lead-free solders

The two types have their main differences in the melting point temperature.

#1. Lead-based solder

This type was unanimously used in the past. It was composed of an alloy of tin and lead in the ratio of 60/40. It has a higher melting point that ranges from 1880-190 degree Celsius. Since lead has got some health issues, most companies are shifting to lead-free solders or reducing the percentage of lead in the mixture.

#2. Lead-free solder

As the name suggests, this is a solder wire not made of lead metal. The European Union requires that commercially available electronics be free of lead metal apart from airplane and health industry. The purpose of this regulation is purely based on health matters.

It's an evolution aim at reducing pollution in the environment. You can interchangeably use both types. However, this type is a bit challenging since it has got a higher melting point due to the absence of lead metal. Therefore, the work does not flow nicely as expected or as low temperature as its lead-based counterpart.

FAQ ( Frequently Asked Questions )

1. Can you use too much solder?

Using too much solder is not recommended. Good solder joints are made using just enough solder. You can remove excess solder by using a solder sucker or solder wick.

2. What is the melting point of 60 40 solder?

60/40 solder ften melt at 1800C (370F)

3. Can you solder wire to a metal?

It is possible to solder steel though it is always welded together.

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Concluding Remarks

Figuring out the best solder for electronics is hectic, no doubt, but it is challenging to get the right from the best available in the market.

Therefore, in this article, we have tried to explain in the best way possible making it easier for the potential buyers to easily pick the best from the list. We are certain that your investment on any of the listed solders will be beneficial than you expect.